High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1041: Chapter 103: Behind the Congealed Blood

Montreya Laboratory’s rules and regulations were not much different from those of other laboratories. They included maintaining a quiet and clean environment, following the professor’s guidance, adhering to operating procedures, strictly prohibiting plagiarism and the fabrication of experiment results, and forbidding the removal of equipment and materials from the lab, among other things.

In summary, these were similar to the rules Zheng Qing had followed when he entered the Hundred Herb Gardens—first, listen to the teacher; second, do not touch anything recklessly; third, listen to the teacher and do not touch anything recklessly.

The only less stringent aspect was that the assistants working in this lab did not need to wear Dragon Skin Protective Suits or carry Alchemy Goggles or silkworm gloves while working there.

According to Zheng Qing’s observations, it was because this lab was responsible for theoretical research work for Montreya Laboratory and did not require hands-on practice, which is why the dress code was more relaxed.

Zheng Qing quickly read through the small booklet the professor had given him.

But as a newcomer, he felt it inappropriate to wander around and chat with his colleagues, nor did he feel comfortable flipping through the materials and books on the experiment table in front of him. So, he could only repeatedly go through the small booklet, almost memorizing it.

By a little after two in the afternoon, Professor Montreya finally came to him once more.

Without much interaction, Professor Montreya directly assigned him the task of analyzing and transcribing a rune rubbing that had been taken from an unknown location. The content was not extensive, yet it was quite rare; the combination of runes on the rubbing differed greatly from the currently popular structures.

Before analyzing, Zheng Qing decided to transcribe it several times.

Just like the old saying goes, ”Read a book a hundred times, and its meaning will appear,” it was the same with talismans. Each group of high-level talismans was composed of numerous basic runes; with careful analysis, it was easy to find the key information of the basic runes from the details of the rune head, rune gall, rune foot, or related edicts, rites, and other aspects.

And this information was precisely the key to deciphering a set of unfamiliar runes.

He laid out the Yellow Paper, ground the Vermilion Ink, and with a tranquil mind and careful attention, began his work with full concentration.

The first time, Zheng Qing quickly completed the transcription; the second time, his pace slowed down a bit. On the third copy, his speed became even slower. However, since his attention was focused on the tip of his pen, he did not notice the strokes in his view gradually slowing down, only feeling his pen tip becoming increasingly steady.

But as his strokes became slower, a mysterious fluctuation that was barely perceptible started stirring in the air.

The other assistants in the laboratory felt nothing of this. Only Professor Montreya, who was sitting not too far away, must have sensed this fluctuation, put down the experiment report he was holding, stood up, and began to look around with a frown. However, since the fluctuation was so subtle, the professor couldn’t locate its source for a while.

For a laboratory dedicated to the study of high-tier magic scripts and bloodlines, such abnormal magic phenomena were not uncommon. Therefore, the professor didn’t notice the abnormality on the young scholarship student for a while.

Just as Zheng Qing was about to finish the fourth transcription, with the final stroke completed, he didn’t even have time to breathe a sigh of relief before his right eye became blurry, followed by an intense, constricting twitch that exploded within his right eye socket.

He groaned and collapsed onto the floor, convulsing violently.

The surrounding assistants screamed and scattered.

In a flash, Professor Montreya appeared beside the young wizard, while loudly instructing his students to inform the therapists at the school’s medical center and softly chanting calming and healing spells. Streams of green energy like fresh springs burst from the void, pouring into Zheng Qing’s right eye socket.

Zheng Qing felt a cool sensation flowing along with the energy, dispersing the strange surge that had been tangled inside his eyeball, as well as the convulsion-like pain.

Professor Montreya pried open Zheng Qing’s eyelids, revealing swirling patterns in both eyes as he carefully observed every minute change in Zheng Qing’s right eye. Meanwhile, with a light flick of his fingers, a few silver needles as thin as cow hairs followed the movement of his fingers, plunging into the skin around Zheng Qing’s eye socket.

”I see,” the professor muttered, a deep frown etching his brow.

Zheng Qing strained to move his unaffected left eye, attempting to glean something from the subtle changes in Professor Montreya’s expression. Unfortunately, he was neither a student specialized in micro-expressions nor had he any research on mind extraction techniques. So, despite his left eye becoming dry from staring, he couldn’t discern anything useful.

However, Professor Montreya had no intention of hiding anything, and he soon began to explain to the young wizard.

”Your right eye is in very bad shape,” he said without euphemism, his voice so soft it was like a whisper, but just loud enough for the two of them to hear: ”If I’m not mistaken... this is due to your careless use of some power that doesn’t belong to you, resulting in a backlash. The eyeball is under pressure, displaying extensive magic fractures. Externally, this is manifested as a hemorrhage at the base of the eye.”

”Let me make an analogy.”

”People often say that eyes are the windows to the soul. For a house, the most vulnerable part happens to be the windows fitted with glass.”

”In your ’house,’ a tremendous magic power is contained. Under normal conditions, this magic power can maintain a delicate balance with the house. But if it’s stimulated by some external force and starts to stir, the house can no longer withstand the pressure.”

”Unable to withstand it, the pressure must be released. And the most vulnerable glass windows are the best exit.”

This explanation was vivid and easy to understand.

But precisely because of that, Zheng Qing felt even more confused.

”A tremendous magic power?” Zheng Qing looked down at his belly: ”Do you mean to say that I am a Nine-Tailed Human Pillar Power with a Red Fox sealed inside me that possesses infinite chakra?”

Professor Montreya didn’t understand Zheng Qing’s joke.

”Human Pillar Power? Chakra?” He frowned, negating the idea: ”I don’t know where you’ve learned these terms. But they clearly do not match with the facts I’m aware of.”

Zheng Qing chuckled dryly, feeling that making light-hearted comments at such a time was somewhat inappropriate.

”What I mean is, I haven’t felt any strange power sealed inside me,” he tried to steer the conversation back to its previous course: ”And, I don’t have any weird sealing marks on my body... I think.”

The professor raised an eyebrow.

”The body?” His head tilted slightly: ”No, no, no, you should pay attention to the example I gave earlier... the eyes are windows to the soul. Therefore, that power doesn’t reside within your body, but exists connected to your soul as its core.”

Well then, that explanation seemed to make the situation a little more complicated.

The parts Zheng Qing found understandable became more esoteric—honestly, he always disliked these parts that lacked empirical evidence and yet were difficult to falsify.